Throw Me Herb Riddim – Mustang Beats / Hot Coffee Music

“Throw Me Herb” rides a laid-back, easy-skank groove with the kind of herb-loving hooks that were all over reggae and dancehall in 2012. Mustang Beats and Hot Coffee Music keep the rhythm loose and mellow, but the voicings give it plenty of personality: Don Andre leans into legalization talk on “Legalize The Herbs, ” Brakka General asks “What Kind Of Grade, ” and Busy Signal turns “Hottest Hothead” into the set’s sharpest moment with his usual clipped, sly delivery. Gappy Ranks, Randy Valentine and Bobby Hustle add a more rootsy, streetwise angle, so the riddim never feels one-note even when every title circles the same subject. It’s a neat snapshot of the era when ganja-themed reggae was still moving comfortably between modern dancehall grit and classic one-drop swing.